Hill, Harriman
How Two Great Railroad
Kings View the National
Outlook Equality. Simplic
ity. Economy and Justice
Ur£- '.l as Watchwords.
By JAMES A. EDGER.TON.
PKOSPERITY stands in a genera!
way for about all men prize in
this world. It means wealth,
success, plenty to eat, plenty to
wear, good houses, mutual respect-
In a word, the necessities and luxuries:
of life. It Is what everybody is look
ing for and some people get. It is the I
fetich of ihe American people. There
fore do we greet the prosperity talker
as the bearer of glad tidings.
.Tames J. Hill and Edward 11. Har
riman. the two big noises of the rail
road world, have been talking prosper
ity. President Taft, George Gould,
John AV. Gates and others have been
talking In the same strain. Hill was
born in Canada and moved over and
annexed the northern part of the
United States.
In the magazines lie 1; called "the
empire builder," but in (lie northwest
he is plain Jim 11111. which the Swedes
pronounce "Tim Hell." lie does not
always talk prosperity, which gives
all the more value to what lie says
now. Hill made the principal speech
at the opening of the Alaska-Yukon-
Pacific exposition in Seattle. Among
other things, he said:
There is a St I ady but moderate Im
provement In business. The business of
( 7 i§m s T r ~' —V
'
SDWABD H. HAKItIMAX .TA.MI> .1 1111.1. SI'KAKIX<; AT OI'KNIXQ
OF ALASKA-VCKOX i'ACIFIC KXI'OSITIOX.
the country i : thawing out from the great
frost which struck it in j ~ and which
continued in 1903.
One of the a teat things hanging over
the country i.s the enormous expenditure,
not merely federal, but state and
ipal, and the consequent effort to produce
revenues to meet this expenditure. Econ
omy in government should ho the watch
word.
For years our people have been like an
heir come into a vast and wealthy estate ,
e have been wasting and squandering
thereat inheritance which Providence
provided.
The Four Magic Words.
There are lour great words that should
he written upon the four cornerstones of
'very public building In this land with
the sacredness of a religious rite. These
watchwords of the republic are equality,
simplicity, economy and justice. They
are Interwoven with every fiber of the
national fabric. To forget or deny them
will lead to every misfortune and every
possibility of destruction that rises now
threateningly in t!i'» path of our country's
great™ .--t.
Equality Wore i!:- lav I.s an embodied
prom: of the mite I States It is the
3 ' rs ' .» , ' ■•:■■■ < by
the i' ,i .. i •<>";■. ltution. In so 112. r as w**
havel eon ilhful to it v.e l.ave not only
grown great and prosperous, but bav«
commanded the respect of others becau««
™ r 'I OP. i . • far : „s v
have If. in so fa- as there Is any.
w.ier" a special privilege or an unequal
restri tloti. any decree of legal govern
ment. I favoritism whatever, we have
chan; d :! government of the fathers
and t rue.] nackward toward the old. evil
tradi! n whoso tII of blood and oppres
sion : ins through all history.
, 1 u "'' the phrase "our com-
P ex • villzatlon" creates a vague impres
sion that simplicity has be,.,, banlshe.J
mi e irny from the modern world by a
Kind of natural evolution whereas It re
main- now. always, the normal rule of
a w hob some national life. The life of
those who do the work of the world,
whether in the high places or the low Is
usually a simple thing.
Simplicity In governing methods, in
- narai ter and in conduct must be a fixed I
quality of the state that survives those ■
changes of the centuries in which all oth- !
ers l,ove vanished.
Inseparably connected with equality and
»,T! ,V s econ,,m >-- Nationally consld-
L. become almost a forgotten
term. The curtailment of federal expense
' wou!4 assist not onl'v erf
ciency In the departments, but reforms ,
Lord Russell's Retort.
Lord lius-vll once presided at a din
ner given far Sir Henry Irvine on his
return frt>m America. While the din
ner -was In progress Lord Husseii stig
posted to Oinyns C'arr that he propose
Sir Henry's health. "I can't mak<
speeches, yon know,"he said.
Hir llenr gently replied, "I heard
you make a fine speech before the Par
nell eonuni. Ion."
To which the pungent Irishman an
swered. "Oh, yes, but then I had some
thing to talk about!"
And Prosperity
Liberal Expenditures by
Farmers and Their Agri
cultural Development
Deemed Important factors.
Late Panic Unnecessary.
now postponed by the task of raising and
the rage o£ spending great sums that
should be left In the pockets of the peo
ple.
Enforce the laws.
Last anil noblest conception of all born
from the associated life of mankind Is
! justice. The nation must be true to that
' abstract and impartial justice which is
' the foundation <■! nobility, the patent of
I heroes and the llnal test of any state.
Upon occasion the lawmaking power has
been invoked riot to punish c nit. but t«»
give one man an unfair advantage at the
I cost of another, to confiscate wholly or in
part property honestly earned and fairly
used, to distinguish between activities by
discriminating laws. The tendency is by
no means universal, but its presence is
palpable and too dangerous to be ignored.
Jf hatred, greed or envy instead of jus
tice ever becomes a formative power in
public affairs, then, no matter who may
i»e the victim, the act is treason, for no
Mate ever enjoyed tranquillity or escaped
destruction if it ceased to maintain one
equal and inflexible standard of justice.
The greatest service to the nation, to ev
ery state and city, today would be the
substitution for a term of years of law
enforcement for lawmaking. Get the laws
fairly tried, wt-ed out those improper or
impracticable, curtail the contempt of
law that now flourishes under the Ameri
can system of nonenforcement and make
the people understand that government
means exact and unsparing justice in
stead of a con ' lex game. This Is the
only safeguard If respect for and confi
dence in the governing system itself are
not to be gradually undermined.
This is all reproduced for the reason
that it is good reading, tlie sort of
reading jusr now needed by the Amer-
loan people and especially by those in
high places.
Mr. 1 larriman's talk was given hur
riedly to a collection of reporters jus:
before he left for Europe. It was re- j
eently stated by a representative of j
the Ilarriman system that this man |
controls ls.iioo tulles of railway, or six
times across the continent; that these i
lines employ 80,000 men; that, in ndJl- j
tion, Ilarriman directs 54,000 miles of ,
steamship lines, making 72,000 miles :
of transportation in all; that one could \
go from New York to Hongkong with
out ever leaving the Ilarriman lines j
and that he could return by another
route i n Ilarriman lines nearly all the I
way. So in the glad conversation that ;
follows please consider that it is these t
72,000 miles of transportation that are !
doing the talking and not Ilarriman
himself. Ilere is what this combina- '
tion of trains, steamships and dollars !
says with him for a mouthpiece:
I think Wr are on a very substantial
basis, und all that it needs to k. ep us on
top of the Wave is I'm* 111• • : t • c >,._
tiuue his liberal lnnnient and produc
tion. The liberal expenditures ..a the part
of the farmers and their agricultural de
velopment is to my mind the important
factor In the national situation. Jt means
the worldwide distribution of wealth in
the employment of labor and the pur
chase ~r materials in all lir.es of life.
if we have favorable weather and large
cro; ve shall have correspondingly ha->-
py t.: . - Vou might say that wo s!„ill
have i "a great bur;-* of specula
tion ■■ . i a rise in prices of everything
and it : : iduate down from that to
any point. si in proportion as tl e crops
are success; ;
There should not be anything today to
interfere with individual Indus-try and ca
pacity, and money does not have am -
thing to do with it. It Is only the evi
dence of capacity and of industry.
The next time probably that we have a
shrinkage In business will be be
cause of a change In business. The last
shrinkage was on account of a scare
something that did not happen. The next
change will only come about by a more
real condition, such as a shrinkage of
our crops. We need not have had that
panic lief.ire. and if we are careful we
need not have another one.
His Mistake.
The vendor of iunices, who had just
heon thrown out of a large office build
j lng, wept bitterly as he looked nt his
torn clothes and broken wares.
"Who did this?" inquired the friend
i ly cop. "I'll pinch 'em if you say the
1 word."
"No; it was my fault," said the vic
tim. gathering up the remains of n
plaster imaie "1 insisted on trying to
sell a bust ijf Noah Webster to a meet
ing if simplified spellers." Denver
i Republican.
I
HALE AT WASHINGTON
Glimpses of Senate Chaplain's
Life In the Capital.
FRIEND CF EVERY SENATOR.
Delighted In His Intercourse With
Them Characteristics That En
deared Him Equally to Strangers
and Acquaintances—An Instance of
His Absentmindedness.
The passing of Dr. Edward Everett
Hale, chaplain of the United States
senate, at the age of eighty-seven,
; took from Washington one of its most
picturesque figures.
Dr. Hale's face anil body, like those
of Chief .Justice Melville Fuller of the
supreme court, once seen, were never
. forgotten. Previously the opening of
! the senate or house with prayer had
j been a perfunctory duty. With Dr.
Hale It was different. It was the daily
service of a minister to God which
came to be recognized In the yearn
| that he occupied the post as one of
the most eloquent of the day, even
though so brief as to be carried in a
! paragraph. The aged minister took oc
casions of illness and death in the
senate to preach little gems of sym
pathy, consolation and eulogy.
lie was a friend of every man in
the senate. lie delighted in his inter
course with the senators and loved to
talk of affairs and books with them,
lie was close to Senator Clark of
Arkansas, one of the most profound
i scholars of the senate, and was very
chummy with Senator I'rvo of Maine.
Dr. Hale used the vice president's
room as his office. It was here that
his daughter helped him don his big
black ministerial robe for his morning
I prayer, and from this oflice the little
pages escorted him to the senate cham
ber. The nttentiveness of the daugh
ter of the minister was often comment
j cd on as a beautiful tribute of love.
With visitors Dr. Hale was patient
and kindly. He took delight in meet
ing strangers, and the capttol guides
; never found him In a mood when they
could not approach him. Although he
was a man who had traveled little in
the west, his knowledge of the United
States and its citizenship was great.
He had the artlessness of a politician
without its wiles. If a guide intro
duced the chaplain to a party from
Marion, or Tallahassee, l-'la., or any
other place it recalled to Dr. Hale the
memory of a man who had lived there.
With this he put his visitors at their
ease. He signed autographs cheer
fully, and the senate pages never
feared to ask him to write his name
for a visitor.
Dr. Hale's great influence over men
was not sufficient to teach the United
States senate to prav, although lie tried
bard enough. When lie first assumed
the duties of chaplain over the body
he asked that the senators join him in
repeating the Lord's Prayer at the end
of his brief morning sermon. Day
after day lie called 011 the senators to
I pray, but the response was so feeble
that he despaired and abandoned the
I practice His two banner pupils were
Senators I'latt and Depew. Senator
Piatt always mumbled the prayer with
him, and Senator Depew came in
strong at the end. The pages respond
-1 ed to his efforts, and all of the little
fellows lined up dally and participated
in the prayer.
Dr. Halo was never able to master
the details of his own affairs, and he
1 was frequently placed In an embar
rassing position by his absentminded
ness. A firmer magazine editor re
called recently that several years ago
he bought a story from Dr. Hale and
later found that another magazine had
bought the same story. When Dr.
Hale's attention was called to it he re
membered and sent a letter of apology,
inclosing another story, a better one,
to soothe the feelings of the unlucky
, editor.
His habit of ignoring ail of the de
tails of his home and business life pro
voked one of his brother ministers into
| asserting that If Dr. Hale had not
: been such a success as a minister he
would have undoubtedly been a tratlip.
In Dr. Hale's home at lloxbury,
Mass., there is a collection of the most
I valuable literary works of the present
century. Books and prints, pamphlets,
j monograms and manuscripts with
j out number are hidden away there,
j Many autograph copies of books and
manuscripts submitted by friends fur
his perusal and later sent him as gifts
goto make up a collection of material
which could occupy the attention of a
literary student for a lifetime. Much
of the material In Dr. Hale's library
was handed down to him by his fa
ther, and his own active life has pro
duced nearly an equal amount. Ills
own manuscripts are there, and the
collection will no doubt be preserved
intact by Ills son.
His Interpretation of the "National
Idea" was given by Dr. Hale as In
spiration fur i:N literary masterpiece,
the parable of"The Man Without a
Country." the most remarkable argu
ment for p trl"tism and fidelity to the
land i>f one's nativity ever written
According t > Dr. Hale's explanation,
the theme .if the story, the need that
.lust such forceful, active, partisan pa
triotism as inflamed his own heart be
brought close to the hearts of Ameri
cans, was working within him at least
fifteen years before It found expres
sion in the story.—Washington Cor.
New York WorM.
Miami University's Centennial.
Miami university, the eldest of Ohl ■'!
colleges, will celebrate her centennla'
at Oxford June 12-18. It Is expected
that more than 2,000 alumni and for
mcr students will gather on the cam
pus at Oxford. The first Invitation Is
sued was sent to President Taft, whe
is interested in Miami university be
cause his father-in-law, John W. Her
run of Cincinnati, since ISSO has been
president of the board of that institu
tion. hitelaw Held, ambassador to
Great Britain, of the class of IS3O, has
also promised to be pre-i at If possible
A Precaution.
"Dickey," saM his mother, "when
you divided those five caramels with
your sister did you give her three?"
"No, 111 a. I thought they wouldn't
eotne out even, so I ate one 'fore 1 be
gau to divide."—United Presbyterian.
OFFICE#,SMITH BLOCK
The Lawyer Used It For More
Than Hrs Legal Business.
By LUCY POOLE.
[Copyright, 1309, by Associated Literary
Press.J
It had always been reported around
town that C. It. Taylor wns a wealthy
man. When he appeared at the general
meeting place, Hinkham's grocery, all
the men would shift their wads and
straighten their hats out of deference
as ho seated himself on the best crack
er barrel by the stove and planted his
feet on the warmest spot.
But the swift, horrible accident had
silenced the Jovial Croesus, and his
estate had been revealed to the pub
lic's horrified gaze as absolutely
worthless.
Sirs. Taylor had been prostrated
completely. Janet had struggled as she
could, but after all the funeral ex
penses had been paid her little store
of banknotes liad dwindled away to a
pathetic few.
"Now, Burt," she explained eagerly
to her masculine friend, lawyer and
devoted lover, "it is a case of sheer
necessity, you see. Wo will only have
$lO a month from the farm, and that
won't even pay mother's doctor bills."
"Janet," began the young man, his
voice husky with the emotion he tried
to suppress—-"Janet, I'm in good busi
ness now, and your father had given
me his consent, so why won't you let
me help you in this time of trouble?
You know J"—
"Yes, I Burt," answered the
girl gently, "but i; impossible. Now,
my plan is this: At collego I took all
the four prizes for tlie best essays and
had good success with the college
weekly and annual."
Burt could hardly hide a smile. This
young slip of womanhood talking of
S3O a month paid for her literary
work! Poor child, she did not realize
that college weeklies and city daily
papers differ strikingly in their de
mands.
But one simply could not argue with
Janet. Her radiant beauty was her
strongest weapon, and Burt left her in
high spirits.
"Burt, 1 shall depend on you for the
addresses of all the best papers and
magazines In the city," she called to
"NKVEU LET ANYTHING SEI'AIiATE VOL' AND
11CBT."
him as he strode down the walk. "And
don't forget to read every line I pub
lish," came indistinctly to his ears as
he turned the corner to the station.
Burton liarold was tied to his office
day and night for the next three
weeks, scarcely having time to snatch
a bit to eat or an hour's rest. Yet the
dainty, dark beauty of Janet's charm
ing face floated tantalizingly before
the dusty lawbooks or the tiresome
documents.
He had not heard a word from her
since he had mailed the addresses, and
he wondered whether he could have
been mistaken and Janet's work was
actually making good. On the Satur
day of a third week lie locked the door
of Office A, Smith block, and took the
train down to the village to gladden
his mother's heart by sight of himself
and his eyes by a sight of Janet.
lie found the girl pale and quiet,
with very little to say. It was not un
til the end of the call that he had the
courage to ask about her literary work.
At his first word the unnatural calm
gave way and she cried like a child.
"Its no use. Burt," she sobbed. "I've
tried and tried, but everything comes
back with a polite 'Of no use,' and I
know it is Just because they «lon' 112
read my work."
Burt was sorely tempted. Had he
followed his own inclination he would
have gathered the girl into his strong
artns and bidden the senseless editor,
go wherever they pleased... But this wna
out of the question. "I'll tell you.
Janet," he said soothingly—"give m°
your work and I'll take it back with
me tomorrow and see what I can do."
And so the matter rested, and Hu.
TOD returned to his office with a roll of
classical raptures, such as "The Lushy
Marsh Where the Cows Stood Knee
Deep in Cowslips" and other totally
unsalable works of his ambitious swee ; j
heart.
He took up another story and read
through one long outburst over "a full
blown apple orchard, where the busy
bee doth ply his trade." "Awful, aw
ful! ' lie said to himself. "But what
can you expect from a college girl?
Why, I can't even doctor these lists of i
adjectives up. They are only fit for
the wastebasket"
The next day brought a brief letter
to Janet:
Pear Janney—lncloso.l wilt find a check
for |lO. I sold your "Apple Orchard In
r ull Uloom." Ail'tross your work now to
Offlc® A, Smith block. It's an agency for
short Htories, and they will tako any
thing you will send them. Don't know
what magazines they use, but their work
goes all over the country. Congratula
tions on your great luck. As ever.
HURT.
The next time Burton visited his
mother in the village It was several
months after the above letter.
Janet was radiant, glowing and,
above all, tender. She confided to him
that she received from $5 to $lO for
every article and often $'J5 for a story
and that she made as high as $lO a
month. Burt only smiled and listened.
Everything was rose colored now
and burned to a deeper hue when
Janet whispered at the gate, "You can
ask me anything you please now, Burt,
dear." And he rode back to the city,
his cheek tingling under the rosy seal
she had set there as a safeguard
against all danger.
It was near spring when Mrs. ITar
old was suddenly taken ill. In her con
dition she needed loving "are, so Janet
went down to stay with the gentle
old lady, who, she thought, would not
live to see the little wedding planned
for June.
Burton came home on Saturday, and
the feeble old lady watched the couple
with tear dimmed eyes and many soft
ly breathed prayers. Toward night
her breathing grew more and more
labored, and the end was not far away.
"Janet, dear," she whispered pain
full}-—"Janet, promise me now, dear,
that you will never let anything sepa
rate you and Burt."
,Tbe girl kissed her wonderingly and
promised softly.
"Doctor," went on the trembling,
tired voice, "how much longer have I
here with my children?"
"I cannot tell, my dear madam," an
swered the ancient doctor, with tears
in his eyes. "Perhaps a few hours."
"Burton, my darling boy," went on
the loving tones, "lean over me, my
son. Von and Janet must be married
now. 1 cannot go peacefully until I
know my boy has a comforter. Here
comes I>r. McCloud, and he will mar
ry you now if"— And the voice trailed
off into silence.
Without waiting to consult Janet,
Burton stepped to her side, and in a
few moments the service was over and
the dying woman had placed her trem
bling hands on their bowed heads and
passed peacefully to the land where
sorrow is never known.
A month or so after his mother's
death Burton decided to move his wife
to the city, where he could be at home
every night. So Janet went to the lit
tle home to pack up the dead mother's
boxes. It was a sad task, and Janet's
eyes overflowed many a lime, for sht
had loved the dear old lady as a
daughter.
Ingoing through the ancient desk
she found a large package marked in
the delicate old fashioned hand, "Foi
uiy son Burton, to be opened after hi?
marriage with Janet." Janet fingered
it curiously, but slipped it into her bap
unopened. When in their cozy library
tlint night she brought it to her hus
band. saying:
"Hurt, dear, do open this. I am sc
curious."
A queer smile passed over her hus
band's face as he broke the string and
out rolled all the well remembered
manuscripts of Jnnet's, "The Apple O r
chard In l'ull Bloom" and others.
"Burton!" she cried in surprise
"Why, Burton, how on earth did youi
mother ever get these?"
"My dear little wife," he answered
holding her closely in his arms, "my
office is Office A, Smith block, an
mother and 1 were the short storj
company that published all youi
work."
A Question of Color.
The enormous difficulties of color
terminology tire illustrated by a cus
tomers "exact statement of her re
quirements" in „ large I>e:msgnte es
tablishment one day. "Something in
blue taffeta -Ilk. please. I don't want
anything its dark as navv blue nor any
thing as light as Cambridge blue, but
something darker than Eton bine and
yet a little off from an electric blue
and hardly a sky blue—more like a
robin's egg blue and yet not <|iiito so
light, lint not an Indigo blue, but some
thing like this tint; I think they call It
uorning glory bine, which is something
like a turquoise blue and yet not quite
so light as that ami yet not so dark
quite as this aquamarine blue nor so
light as baby blue. Now, if you have
anything in the shade 1 have described,
please show it to me." The Intelligent
assistant unrolled a length, a cross be
tween the blue devils and the deep sea,
with the remark: "This is the shade
of blue you require, madam. It is
called 'London milk:"'—Dyer and Cal
ico Printer.
The Oriental Mind.
Frederic S. I sham, the author, told
the following to illustrate the double
dyed duplicity of the oriental mind.
Mr. Isham was in Pekin. Passing tlio
arch to the Baron von Ivettler, sup
posed to be an arch of contrition for
the foul assassination of that brave of
ficial, the novelist asked a Chinaman
who spoke a little English:
"You know why this monument was
erected, I suppose?"
"Oh, 'yes," was the ready reply in
dialect, "to commemorate a triumphal
deed, the death of a very powerful for
eigner!"
'""Commemorate! And is that"—in
amazement- "what the people general
ly think was the purpose of this monu
ment?"
"Why not?" The Celestial's face was
immovable, but a suggestion of sar
donic humo- seemed to flash from his
slant eyes. "Chinese people much likee
monument."
And, indeed, they seemed to bask in
the shade of it with much satisfac
tion.
The Cause of urarts.
T\ hy is it that windows and tlqors
are frequently 111 fitting? There is
nothing wrong with the wood itself,
nor with the workmanship, as a rule,
nor with the tit, at the outset at least,
but the whole trouble is due to the
wood being unseasoned, or, rather,
only partially seasoned, at the time it
is made up.—Timber.
Optimistic.
"Is Jones an optimist?"
"Is he? He fi»uud a ticket entitling
him to a chance In an automobile
drawing the other day, and he la
building a garage."—Boston Transcript.
Answered.
Bobby—What's the simple life, pa?
Father—Doing your own work, my son.
Bobby—And what's the strenuous life?
Father—Doing some other fellow's
work. Now run along and play.
HER PICTURE CARD,
it Brought About an Understand
ing Between the Lovers.
By ANNETTE DUMOIS.
[Copyright, 1909, by Associated Literary
Press. J
"It's kind of lonesome since pa died,
but I can't seem to make up my mind
to Silas some way."
j The speaker had a worried look in
( her bright blue eyes as site dropped a
fresif batch of doughnuts the fry-
Ins pan, saying, "Just six an' no more,
say I, an' then they won't soak fat."
"Your doughnuts cert'nly do come
out Jest right, Sophrony," said the lit
tle dressmaker ns she snapped her
thread with a twist of her finger.
"Seems as if I could not work half so
fast since I got these store teeth an'
can't bite off ray thread any more. Si
las is forehanded an' well meanin',
though he ain't as handsome as some."
"Oh, I don't mind red hair myself,"
replied Sophrony amiably, "but"—
"It's time you was gettin' settled,"
persisted the dressmaker. "You never
was cut out for an old maid."
She eyed Sophrony's comfortable
curves with appreciation. "Let's see—
you're thirty, come August. You was
born the day our lietsy had them twin
calves—dretful cute little critters they
was. One had a white ring around
his eye. Now, if you was little an'
skimpy, like mo, you'd be a proper old
maid."
Iler black eyes twinkled behind the
gold bowed specs as she continued: "I
ain't never felt the loss of a man yet.
lle'd be sure to want the rocker jest
when Marcus Aurelius had to hev it."
(Marcus was the spoiled Angora.) "1
calkerlate I've bed two chances, though
leastwise one of 'em was an out an'
outer; the other was a seafarin' man,
so 1 don't know. No, Sophrony; I've
ate two already." declining the tempt
! ing circles, "but I might take a dro>
I more tea. Too bad Sam Jenkins got
I Trjl
11
i « ¥ 4 '
I
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11/ I /- Sr
' 111 '// 1! _
liiil
•WIUONV, i>u> vor m:m> he a I'lcitu
CAIiD ." "
stove up so," she said, with a sharp
side glance at the girl, v
She gave a sails lied n d as the rich
red flamed in Sophrony's cheeks.
"Who'd 'a' thought that plow would
strike dynamite in his old ten acre
lot? Nobody knows how It came there,
neither, lie was such a likely young
feller an* dretful handsome"—
"Ilis face ain't hurt none," interrupt
ed Sophrony, rattling the stove covers
aimlessly.
"They say when he gets them new
fangled legs with joints he'll be as
good as new, barrin' his three fingers.
Lucky 'twas the left hand, say I.
Didn't he ustcr come over here a lot?"
questioned Miss Perkins.
"Yes, for quite a spell." Sophrony
turned around and allowed the tears
to roll over her plump cheeks without
any pretense. "That's why I can't
make up my mind to Silas, I guess.
liut a woman can do nothin', an' Sam's
sort of backward."
"My grief, I should say so—when a
man couldn't get up spunk to ask n
girl till she's most thirty!"
"lie knew I wouldn't leave pa," ex
cused Sophrony. "I went over to in
quire, but Mary Jane said he wouldn't
let anybody inside the house."
"You don't say!" exclaimed the
dressmaker. "I kind of mistrusted
how things was." she sympathized,
"but he's Jest sensitive, that's what.
Likely he says to himself, 'I ain't got
no right to ask any woman to tie u
to a one iegger.' "
"I'd rather have Sam with one leg
than any other body with two." half
sobbed Sophrony. "Oh. Miss Perkins,
it does mo a sight c? good to speak
out! I've Just been bottled up till it
seems as If I should bust."
"There, there, Sophrony; yon lest j
'hint reel hard thaE things is goin' to
come out right, an' they're bound to.
I've been rendin' some of the new j
thought papers lately, an' there's a
heap o* comfort in 'em. Why don't J
you send him a picture card?" she I
asked suddenly.
"Mebbe I might," said the girl doubt- j
fully.
"You jest send him a pritty one. an' i
we'll see,"' said the little dressmaker 1
ns she put on her modified "Merry i
Widow."
"Some way I feel a henp better than {
when you came, Miss Ferldns. Every- I
body says you're the village comfort, j
anyway," said Sophrony. "I wish I j
had your pompadour. You keep your 1
hair wonderful well," gazing aduiir
ingly at the wavy gray hair.
"Nonsense!" with a pleased flush, j
however. "The Perkinses all have j
good heads o' hair, lluns In some fam
ilies, I guess."
"I know Just what she'll pick out," I
soliloquized tho spinster on her way J
home, "somethin' with hearts an' a
pagoda with doves in It. That ain't
what a man wants who's all stove up
an' got the gruraps. I will! I rum!"
The littio dressmaker retraced her
steps to the village ' emporium,"
where she carefully scanned ih<? stock
of cards. Flnully her eye limited on
the picture of the "Mini.stcrin« An
gel." "It's Jest tin- ticket," she chuc
kled. On a flowery couch reclined a
young man, anil a young woman was'
offering hiin a plate of most Impossible '
looking fruit with nu air of tender so-'
licitude. The motto read:
I fain would soothe thy wearied hours !
With all a woman's powers. J
'Tls woman's place to serve and wait ,
Upon a loving mate.
Miss Perkins wrote something on the 1
card and firmly affixed a one cent'
stamp.
"There; j guess that'll set him to!
thinkin' anyway." i
After tea Sophrony sat by the win- i
dow knitting in the dusk when she 1
saw Mary Jane going into a neighbor's.!
"She won"' get away from there fori
an hour. Miss Parks is an everlasting
talker," commented Sophrony. "I've a ;
half mind to run over an' inquire, just i
neighborly like. He might be In the i
sittin' room with I,ouisy."
With fast beating heart the girl ;
whipped her best pink shawl around'
her and started out. Sure enough,!
Sam was In the easy chair with his
crotches on the floor beside him, and j
T-oulsy, his twelve-year-old sister, was!
doing sums, Sophrony could see them s
through the window as she tiptoed up'
the gravel path.
"Come In, Sophrony!" shouted the'
young man as he caught the sound of'
her voice In the hallway. '
"My," whispered Poulsy, "he ain't j
seen nobody since he was hurt!"
Sophrony trembled, but said cheeri-i
ly, "Hello, Sam!" In her usual fashion.j
As Louisy disappeared after a pitcher*
of cider in hospitable manner Sam?
leaned forward with a nervous tlusbj
on his thin face as lie asked hurriedly,!
"Sophrony, did you semi me a picture!
card?" I
"Mebbe I did an' meb'ie I didn't,"!
answered the girl nervously, laughing?
and blushing.
"Don't fool, Sophrony. Quit it. Did '
you?"
"ies, Sam." she replied, sobered up
by his earnestness.
"Hid you mean It?" he demanded.
Sophrony looked bewildered. What
was the motto? She could not remem
ber. She had just picked out a "pret
ty" one. as the dressmaker had sur
mised. It would do no harm to say
"Yes" anyway.
"r>ld you, Sophrony?" he persisted.
"Would you put up with a man who
has only one leg?"
"Indeed, I would if it 'twas you,
Sam," replied Sophrony honestly.
"Come over here, my girl," entreated
Sam, holding out his arms longingly.
All his shyness seemed to have disap
peared.
Sophrony went and knelt beside his
chair, and as his arms closed around
her Sam said. "If it hadn't been forj
this blessed card"—he pulled it out of i
his breast pocket—"l'd never have had
the courage to ask you." ;
Sophrony caught her breath sharply)
as site lookeil at it. "Oh. Sam," then I
she hesitated, "I never sent that one,?
but," she added hastily as she read the;
verse, "I would have if I'd seen It. ij
think it's just lovely." C
Sam drew the pretty, blushing face:
against his shoulder again. "Well, It's)
all right, (hen. I'.ut. see. here are your
initials down in the corner. Who do'
you suppose sent it?"
"It's that blessed little dressmaker."
said Sophrony, with a flash of compre-i
hension. 112
"Land o' Goshen! I guess there'll bo 1
a weddin' in this family 'fore long—
teehee," giggled I.ouisy from the door- '■
way, almost dropping the pitcher of ■
cider in her excitement. i
"I just guess there will," replied
Sam masterfully. »
Popular Parisian Fad.
The freak phot ..;ri; h is the popular'
fad In Paris at present. Several pho-}
togruphers are making It a specialty!
ami turn out the humorous, grotesque!
and grewsi.' .e i:i large quantities. One'
of these r> ceived in New York recently j
shows a young woman fashionably at-1
tired carrying in her liar.d a hat »112 thoj
peach basket shape < unt tlaing herj
head. Another represents a maa con-!
templatlng his own smiling f.iee. Hej
holds the he.l as Hamlet was supposed I
to have held the skull "112 Yorlek. Still j
another shows a ymug maa i:i a cof-j
fin. smoking a cigarette and supposed-{
ly Homing to the funeral oration, i
which is being delivered by himself. I
Knife Blade Building.
Pacing the new Williamsburg bridge
plaza, iu New York, will be built an ;
office and store structure only six feet?
eleven Indies wide. The depth will Ik> j
a hundred feet. It will be built on the
southwest corner of Pelatieey and
Clinton streets, it will lie two stories j
high. The cost is placed at $li"»,000. j
The narro-,7 strip of land was left by ,
the cutting away of the blocks taken
to make the plaza.
Respectability.
Max O'Kell was once staying with a
friend at Pdlnburgh. Starting for a '
walk on Sunday, he took up his walk- :
lng stick. "Do you mind taking an'
umbrella?" asked his conscientious!
host. "It looks more respectable." j
t
A. Pleliaoio
TIN SHOP
Tor all kind of Tin Roofing,
Spouting ind Caneral
Job Work.
Stoves. Heaters, Ranges,
Furnactis. sto.
PRICES THE LOHEST!
QIIJLITV IDE BEST!
JOHN HIXSOiS
NO- U» E. FRONT IT.